Getting OK for backyard burial involves several steps

Q — We have some land in Weld County, and we’d like to start a family cemetery. What kind of regulations do we face? Can you bury somebody in your backyard?

A — Maybe, but you’ll have some steps to go through:

n If you live inside the Greeley city limits, you can’t bury anyone in your backyard. Zoning prohibits human burials in residential areas. However, it says nothing about industrial zones, so you might be able to bury someone in a mall parking lot — if you can get permission from the mall owner.

n In the county, you need to get a burial permit from the Weld County Health Department. Most of the time, the funeral home will do this for you. You may need to provide them with a certified letter promising perpetual care of the plot or cemetery.

n Contact the Weld County Clerk and Recorder’s Office to make sure that your land description and deed indicate that there are bodies buried on the property.

n The state has no regulations about burying people. That’s why Nederland has the famed “Frozen Dead Guy.”

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The wisest thing to do, if you don’t want to use a regular cemetery, is to cremate your loved one and spread the cremains. There are no laws about doing that on your own land.

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Q — I went to Centennial Bank in west Greeley recently and needed change for a $20 bill. I went to the teller and asked her to break the $20, and she said she couldn’t do it because I wasn’t a customer of her bank. What kind of crazy reasoning is that?

A — We tried to change a $20 bill at the same bank, and we were also refused. The teller told us “it’s a liability problem.” We tried other banks, and they cashed the $20 without a problem. Nancy Tecksten of Centennial Banks said they have strict regulations they must follow to protect the bank against counterfeiters or money laundering. They’ve made it a policy to only change bills from customers, to avoid any legal entanglements.

“We do give our customers the very best service,” Tecksten added.

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Q — I have a complaint about the Cub Scout flag display, which was presented at the Fourth of July parade. It was a giant flag, carried by dozens of Cub Scouts, but they carried the flag upside down. It was a sign of distress! This is a slap in the face to anyone that holds the flag close to their heart.

Someone needs to make a public apology to all that viewed this, and ASAP.

A — We checked tapes of the parade and found you are correct — they had an upside-down flag. It was a mistake, according to Centennial District Scout Executive Josh Atherton: “It was completely unintentional, and we apologize. We’ll take steps so it won’t happen again.”